Understanding Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental illness. The distinguishing characteristics of schizophrenia are delusions , auditory hallucinations (hearing voices that aren't there) and visual hallucinations (seeing things that aren't there). Other types of hallucinations include olfactory hallucinations (smelling things that aren't there). A schizophrenic may feel things crawling on them that aren't there. They may eat something that they have always loved like blueberry pie and to them, it may taste disgusting.

The types of Schizophrenia.

There are five different types of schizophrenia. They are as follows.

Paranoid schizophrenia is characterized by delusions and auditory hallucinations but relatively normal intellectual functioning. The delusions can often be about being treated unfairly or being some other person who is famous. People with paranoid schizophrenia can exhibit anger, anxiety, and argumentativeness. Paranoid schizophrenics often have an hallucination of them committing some sort of crime or wronging someone and this may cause their paranoia

Disorganized schizophrenia is characterized by speech and behavior that are disorganized or difficult to understand, and flattening or inappropriate emotions. People with disorganized schizophrenia may laugh at the lighted arrow sign in a highway construction zone or at something not closely related to what they are saying or doing. Their disorganized behavior may disrupt normal activities, such as showering, dressing, and cleaning the house.

Catatonic schizophrenia is characterized by disturbances with movement. People with catatonic schizophrenia may keep themselves completely still or move all over the place. They may be silent for hours, or they may repeat anything you say or do. This type of behavior is putting these people at high risk because it impairs their ability to take care of themselves.

Undifferentiated schizophrenia is characterized by some of the symptoms seen in Paranoid, Disorganized, and Catatonic Schizophrenia but not enough of any one of them to define it as another particular type of schizophrenia.

Residual schizophrenia is characterized by a past history of at least one episode of schizophrenia, but the person currently has no positive delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or behavior. It may represent a transition between a full-blown episode and complete remission, or it may continue for years without any further psychotic episodes.

What's going on?

What's going on inside the head of a schizophrenic? That's a good question. Assuming that you (yes, YOU who is reading this) does not have schizophrenia let's use you for an example. When you see an object or a person. Your eye captures that image and sends it to your brain. In your brain a chemical reaction occurs that process what your eye sees. Your eye is just the tool that your brain uses to see. Now let's go to the schizophrenic. He or she sees a person in the living room. You can see that there is no one there. Now just because there is no one there for your eyes and the schizophrenics eyes to see, does not mean that the schizophrenics MIND is not processing the sight of someone standing in the living room.

When you hear someone talking in the room, the sound goes in your ear and vibrates your ear drum, those vibrations travel to your inner ear and your inner ear sends a message to your brain and your brain processes the sound. Your ears are just a tool for your brain to use so you can hear. Just because there is no one talking in the room does not mean that the schizophrenics brain is not processing the sound of someone talking.

Schizophrenia is a scary mental illness. This is largely the blame of the media. I can remember hearing a news report where a schizophrenic mother threw her small children over a bridge to their death. The voices kept yelling at her telling her to do this. If someone yells enough for you to do something, most people will do it. The character "Norman Bates" in the movie Psycho was a schizophrenic. This is the image that the media has put out to the public about schizophrenia. You never hear a news report about a schizophrenic who is taking their medicines and dealing with their illness in a non-destructive and non-criminal way.

Schizophrenia IS treatable. It may take a bit of time to find the right medicine or medicines but there IS hope for your loved one. Don't give up on them. At this time, they need you most. Educate yourself as much as you can about your loved one's mental illness. The more you understand it, the better you will be able to handle it. Good luck.